Softball playoffs: Hebron forces Game 3 with Timber Creek; Flower Mound wins thriller for sweep

Hebron went ahead for the first time in the series on Pirrello’s two-run homer over the wall in left-center in the third inning. EK Hagedorn was on base with a walk.

Pirrello did it again in almost the same spot in the fifth inning, this time with two teammates on board to increase the Hebron lead to 5-1. Hagedorn reached on an infield error and Kinsely Huckabee worked a walk ahead of the homer.

Both teams have faced a Game 3 in the first two playoff rounds, Timber Creek defeated Mansfield Lake Ridge in bi-district and Hebron advanced over South Grand Prairie last week in the area round.

— Randy Jennings

Flower Mound 3, Northwest Eaton 2: Audra Kruk finished off an eight-inning complete game by getting a fielder’s choice grounder to end it with the bases loaded as Flower Mound completed a two-game sweep of the Class 6A Division I Region I semifinal series.

Flower Mound took a 3-1 lead with two runs in the top of the eighth as Avery Brock broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI double, and another run scored on an error. Eaton cut it to 3-2 on a two-out RBI single by Adriana Cantu in the bottom of the eighth, and a single and walk followed to load the bases before Kruk escaped the jam to give Flower Mound the win.

An RBI single by Eaton’s Jordan Jameson in the bottom of the sixth tied it 1-1 and ended up forcing extra innings. With its 11th straight win, Flower Mound (27-8-1) advanced to a regional final for the second straight year after reaching the state semifinals last season.

Grand Oaks 9-8, Waxahachie 5-2: Waxahachie sophomore Michaela Landers hit her 25th home run of the season, giving her the Dallas-area record for most home runs in a season. But it wasn’t enough as Hannah Forman allowed two hits in 6 1/3 innings and Jaz Leveston homered to lead Grand Oaks to an 8-2 win in Game 3 of the best-of-3 Class 6A Division I Region II semifinal series.

Landers finished the season with 105 RBIs, a new state record. Waxahachie (37-3) had won 31 games in a row before losing twice Friday.

Grand Oaks won 9-5 in Game 2 earlier Friday as Amira Abukhzam, Kiley Milligan and Myah Aranda homered. Jayla Hernandez went 3 for 3 for Waxahachie.

Trophy Club Byron Nelson 15, Flower Mound Marcus 3:  An eight-run top of the third propelled Byron Nelson to a two-game sweep in the 6A Division II Region I semifinal series. Brooklyn Hanson, Bryson Farco, Elle Dearing and Kaylee Vien homered for Byron Nelson (36-5-1), which won for the 11th time in 13 games.

Farco gave Byron Nelson the lead for good with a two-run single in the third that made it 3-1, and four batters later Dearing hit a grand slam to make it 8-1. Farco added a two-run home run in the fourth to extend the lead to 10-2, and she finished 3 for 4 with five RBIs.

Forney 5, Conroe Oak Ridge 0: Emmie Santos pitched a four-hit shutout as Forney swept the 6A Division II Region II semifinal series and extended its winning streak to 20 games.

Carlee Rabal and Mylee Salas each went 3 for 4 with an RBI for Forney (33-3), and Santos gave Forney its ninth shutout in the last 11 games. Oak Ridge loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but a groundout ended the game.

Midlothian Heritage 5, Lovejoy 0: Trinity Chittamai pitched a three-hit shutout and struck out seven as Midlothian Heritage wrapped up a two-game sweep in the 5A Division II Region II semifinal series. Lovejoy loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Chittamai got a fielder’s choice grounder to end the game.

Chittamai and Ava Robinson homered, and Robinson went 3 for 4 with three runs and two RBIs. Chittamai provided all the offense that Heritage would need with a two-run home run in the top of the first, and Robinson and Amiya Vanmeter hit RBI singles in the third.

Prosper Walnut Grove 2, Lake Belton 1: Two outs from seeing its season end, Walnut Grove rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the best-of-3 5A Division I Region II semifinal series at one win apiece. It ended a 16-game winning streak for Lake Belton.

Darcy Lovland tied the score 1-1 with a one-out RBI single in the seventh, and Lily Bergstrand followed with an RBI double to give Walnut Grove a 2-1 lead. Maddie Sabedra pitched a four-hitter as Walnut Grove forced a decisive Game 3 that is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Red Oak.

Abilene 3-9, Richland 0-1: Kaylee Gonzales doubled, homered and drove in two runs and Avah Reyes and Gonzales combined on a two-hitter as Abilene won Game 3 of the best-of-3 regional semifinal series 9-1 in 5A Division I.

Abilene won Game 2 of the series 3-0 earlier Friday as Reyes pitched a two-hit shutout and Mariah Estrada homered.

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